1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a monitoring technology, particularly to a method and a system for monitoring a driver.
2. Description of the Related Art
Transportation vehicles have become more popular and the number has dramatically increased to the point where traffic accidents frequently occur. Many accidents are due to driver fatigue while driving. Driver fatigue not only causes many traffic accidents but negatively affects the body and mind of a driver. Therefore, avoiding driving fatigue has an important social consequence.
Many kinds of driver detection warning systems work to determine by analyzing the line of vision of a driver or integrating network signals of a car. The U.S. Pat. No. 6,243,015 determines fatigue level of a driver though closing level of eyes (namely, the vertical height of eyes). If the fatigue level of the driver has reached a predetermined level, the system outputs a fatigue warning signal. If the fatigue level of the driver is higher than a predetermined value, the system decreases an accumulating value of the fatigue level.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,496,117 determines whether a driver feels overly tired by analyzing the line of vision of the driver. In other words, if the fatigue level of a driver is determined by the technology of the above-mentioned two patent publications, a computer monitoring hardware apparatus having high cost and high resolution is required. However, an expensive apparatus cannot be justified by everyone during a depressed economy.
In view of the problems and shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention provides a method and a system for monitoring a driver, so as to solve the afore-mentioned problems of the prior art.